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Ho Chi Minh City needs a large amount of money to fix its flooding problem since it was designed for two million people but the population has surged to more than 10 million, experts said at a conference on the issue Tuesday.

It will need VND97.3 trillion (US$4.38 billion) for anti-flooding projects by 2020, according to a report released at the conference held by the city Party unit.

The city has earmarked VND23 trillion (nearly $1.1 billion), including for three wastewater treatment plants at Binh Hung, Nhieu Loc – Thi Nghe, and Tham Luong – Ben Cat, and is still looking to mobilize the remaining amount.

Urban infrastructure, specifically the drainage system, is overloaded due to the rapid population growth, according to the report.

Authorities hope to raise money from official development assistance loans and the private sector.

More than VND39.2 trillion ($1.76 billion) worth of ODA will be needed to dredge sections of the Tham Luong, Ben Cat and Nuoc Len canals and move out the slums situated along their banks.

The city is still looking for funds for at least four more wastewater treatment plants, sluice gates to prevent water from canals flooding into the sewer system and dredging the Xuyen Tam Canal and the Go Dua and Khanh Hoi reservoirs.

The Ho Chi Minh City Anti-flooding Center will invest in systems to monitor the flows in major canals, including Nhieu Loc – Thi Nghe and Tan Hoa – Lo Gom.